Printing – Printing members – Blanks and processes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-06-12
Eickholt, Eugene (Department: 2854)
Printing
Printing members
Blanks and processes
C101S425000, C101S483000, C101S382100, C347S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244179
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and relates in particular to a recording apparatus that cleans a recording drum or an image receiving sheet by removing foreign substances therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Arts
A recording apparatus according to the present invention fixes to a recording rotary drum (hereinafter referred to as a recording drum), or to a recording plane, a recording medium (a general term used for an image receiving sheet that is fixed to a recording drum, and a toner sheet that is fixed to and covers the image receiving sheet), and records an image on the recording medium by irradiating it with a laser beam emitted by an optical head.
FIG. 13
is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall recording apparatus according to the present invention.
In
FIG. 13
, in order to produce a full-color image, a recording apparatus
30
comprises: a recording medium supply unit
32
; a recording drum
34
; a recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
, which is provided on the recording drum
34
; a laminating mechanism
38
, arranged externally around the recording drum
34
; an exposure head
40
; a peeling mechanism
42
; a paper supply unit
44
; a laminating unit
46
; a fixing unit
48
; a separation unit
50
; a tray unit
52
; and a controller
54
.
The recording apparatus
30
feeds an image receiving sheet R and a toner sheet T from the recording medium supply unit
32
to the recording drum
34
. The recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
then fixes the image receiving sheet R to the recording drum
34
, following which the laminating mechanism
38
applies thermal pressure to laminate the toner sheet T and the image receiving sheet R. Depending on the type of recording medium used, this heat lamination process may not be required.
Then, a latent image is formed on the toner sheet T by irradiating the recording medium with a heat mode laser beam emitted by the exposure head
40
, which is operated, in consonance with an image signals, by the controller
54
. Following this, the peeling mechanism
42
separates the toner sheet T from the image receiving sheet R on the recording drum
34
and the latent image on the toner sheet T is transferred to and developed on the image receiving sheet R.
This process is repeated several times to transfer three or four colors, and after a color image has finally been formed on the image receiving sheet R, the laminating unit
46
presses a paper sheet H, which is supplied from the paper supply unit
44
, and the image receiving sheet R together so that they adhere to each other. Following this, the fixing unit
48
optically cures an image receiving layer
66
on the image receiving sheet R and the separation unit
50
removes the image receiving sheet R from the paper sheet H. Then, the paper sheet H, to which the full-color image is fixed, is output to a proof tray
52
a
, while the used image receiving sheet R is discharged to a waste stacker
52
b.
In this manner, a full-color, hard copy of the image can be obtained.
The recording medium supply unit
32
comprises: a recording medium station
53
, for holding recording medium stock (i.e., a roll of image receiving sheet R stock, and a plurality of rolls of photosensitive toner sheet T stock in such standard colors as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y), or in special colors such as the gold and silver that are used in the printing industry); a pair of feed rollers
54
, for feeding one type of recording medium stock; a cutter
55
, for cutting the recording medium stock to form a sheet after the feed rollers
54
have extracted a specified length of stock from the recording medium station
53
; a pair of rollers
56
, for holding and transporting the thus formed recording sheet; and a guide
57
, along which the recording sheet is conveyed, toward the recording drum
34
, until the leading end of the recording medium reaches a fixed position at the recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
, which is attached to the recording drum
34
.
An image receiving sheet R is supplied first to the recording drum
34
, and its leading edge is secured by clamps that constitute part of the recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
. Then, an image receiving sheet R is fitted around the recording drum
34
, as it rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow, so that the trailing edge can also be secured by the mechanism
36
. At this time, it is preferable that at the least either the leading end fixing portion or the trailing edge fixing portion of the recording medium holding/releasing means
36
be permitted to slide along the outer surface of the recording drum
34
, so that recording sheets of various lengths can be accommodated by the recording drum
34
.
Following this, in the same manner as is described above, a toner sheet T, which is obtained from the recording medium supply unit
32
, is fitted around the recording drum
34
and is laminated with the image receiving sheet R that was previously positioned around the outer surface of the recording drum
34
. The lamination of the toner sheet T and the image receiving sheet R is performed by a laminating roller
58
, which incorporates a heater (not shown); an arm
59
, which pivots at a fulcrum
59
a
and which moves and positions the laminating roller
58
so that it contacts the outer surface of the recording drum
34
or is moved away from the surface of the recording drum
34
; and pressing means
60
, which applies a predetermined pressure to force the laminating roller
58
against the outer surface of the recording drum
34
. The pressing means
60
is urging means, such as a spring, and may be an operator for an air cylinder.
Since an adhesive coating is applied to the outermost image receiving layer
66
of the image receiving sheet R, the toner sheet T can be applied to and laminated with the sheet R by employing the predetermined pressing force to hold the laminate roller
58
against the sheets. As a result, no creases are formed in the toner sheet T, and the image receiving layer on the image receiving sheet R closely and uniformly adheres to a toner layer on the toner sheet T.
In this case, the laminating roller
58
is used to laminate the toner sheet T and the image receiving sheet R because the sheets must uniformly adhere to each other. However, in order to increase the strength of the adhesion established between the sheets, it is preferable that, in addition to the pressure applied by the laminating roller
58
, a thermal lamination process be performed. The temperature used should be equal to or lower than 130° C., and preferably should be equal to or lower than 100° C.
In addition, when the image receiving sheet R is to be positioned around the recording drum
34
, it is preferable that the leading edge of the image receiving sheet R be secured by the recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
, and that the other portion of the sheet R be held by the feed roller pair
56
, the laminating roller
58
or another means, so that a predetermined tension is applied to the image receiving sheet R. In this case, as will be described later, suction holes may be formed around the outer surface of the recording medium
34
, and suction applying means may be used to produce a suction effect that holds the image receiving sheet R against the surface of the recording drum
34
(see FIG.
14
). While it is preferable that the suction means and the recording medium holding/releasing mechanism
36
be employed together, each of them can be employed individually. As a result, the image receiving sheet R can be secured to the outer surface of the recording drum
34
without any creases being formed in it and without its position being shifted during the process. It is also preferable that tension be applied to the toner sheet T when it and the image receiving sheet R are laminated. In the same manner as when the image receiving sheet R is positioned, the recording medium holding/releasing
Eickholt Eugene
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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